Ventilated building structure



y 1954 H. B. CARLSON 2,684,622

VENTILATED BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. '7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fi F g 4 Harold B. Gaflson INVENTOR.

H. B. cARLsoN 2,684,622

July 27, 1954 VENTILATED BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F1 .4 4 2 9 Fig.2

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Harold B. Carlson IN V EN TOR.

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Patented July 27, 1954 UNITED STATES FTENT OFFICE VENTILATED BUILDING STRUCTURE Harold B. Carlson, Guerneville, Calif.

Application January '7, 1952, Serial No. 265,341

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ventilated building structures and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a louver unit adapted to be installed in a wall above, below or both above and below a stationary window such as a picture window in order to permit proper ventilation of a room area.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a ventilator structure composed of a frame supporting a panel having spaced openings together with rollable circular closure plates that are movable as a unit selectively into and out of register with the openings.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a ventilator of the aforementioned character involving a novel and improved means for forcing the plates tightly against the panel as the plates are moved into register with the openings to tightly seal the plates against the panel.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a louver structure that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, efiicient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, install and service, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational View of a Wall structure having a picture window and showing the invention mounted in the wall both above and below the window;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary reduced scale view taken on the plane of section line 2-2 of Figure 4 and showing the closure plates in their closed position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the closure plates in their open position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the operating means for the closure plate supportin and connecting bar;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary View of Figure 1 to show the means for indicating the position of the closure plates; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the closure plate connecting bar forming part of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numerals l0 and i2 represent the two open and rectangular sections of a frame that are suitably secured in a wall it in registry with openings 15 and i8 having vertically spaced louvers 2B and 22 mounted therein.

The opposing faces of the frame sections iii and I2 are spaced apart sufficiently to accommodate a plywood panel 26 therebetween. The panel 24 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced preferably circular openings 26, whereby the interior of a room may be ventilated.

A plurality of vertically disposed circular closure plates 28 are rollably positioned on the lower rail of section !2 and these plates are centrally reinforced and strengthened by smaller circular plates 33. A connecting bar 32 extends horizontally and diametrically across all of the plates 23 and Si), and pivots 34 extend centrally from the plates 28, 36 to enter apertures 36 in the bar 32 as shown best in Figure 5.

Vertical rods 38 extend between the upper and lower rails of frame section I2 and their ends are positioned in accommodating recesses in the upper and lower rails of section i2. These rods each support a pulley or roller 40 and the pulleys til form guides and bearin elements for wedge strips 42 secured to the bar 32 in order that the plates 28 may be urged against the panel 2 to tightly seal openings 26, as the plates 28 are moved into registry with openings 26.

One end of frame section l2 carries a guide 44 that slidably receives an operating cord Mi whose central portion is trained over a pulley 48 mounted on the rod closest the guide M. One flight or end of the cord 46 is trained back and forth through a pair of parallel, transverse, bores 56 in the end of bar 3.2 closest guide 44, whereby the bar 32 may be moved horizontally longitudinally by the cord.

Means is provided for indicating when the plates 28 are in or out of registry with the openings 25. This means comprises an arm 52 that projects laterally and horizontally from bar 32 and whose outer end extends between a pair of louvers 22 and supports a pointer 54. Indicia 56 and 58 on one of the louvers 22 is adapted to selectively register with pointer 54*, depending whether or not the plates 23 are in their open or closed positions.

The frame section l0 supports at its ends a pair of diagonal brace rods 60 that extend diametrically across the end openings 26. These rods 50 may also be secured to the panel 22 rather than frame section it in order to take up shear.

A screen unit 62 is suitably mounted in the frame section l2 to extend across the opening formed therein.

In practical use of the invention, the unit is installed above, below or both above and below a picture window W. As one end of the cord 46 is pulled, the bar 32 will move and carry with it the plates 28 which ride on the lower rail of section l2. As the cord is pulled to move the plates 28 into registry with openings 26 the wedges 42 ride against rollers Ail and cause the plates 28 to be forced against the panel 24 and tightly seal the openings 26.

Obviously, suitable guide and support means, such as rollers or channels, may be mounted on the panel 24 to slidably guide the bar 32. Also guide tracks may be carried by the upper and lower rails of frame section 12 fOr the plates 28. Furthermore, additional wedge strips, similar to strips 42 but tapering oppositely therefrom, may be supported on bar 32 to engage rollers 49 and cause the plates 28 to be forced against panel 2 when the plates are in their open position, in order to prevent rattling of the plates in response to wind thereagainst.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a louver structure including an open frame, a panel supported by the frame having a plurality of spaced openings therein, a plurality of rotatable closure plates selectively rollable into and out of registry with said openings, means carried by the frame rollably supporting the plates, a connecting bar pivotally secured to each plate, and means carried by the frame and connected to the bar for moving the latter and the plates and for selectively positioning the plates in and out of register with the openings and, rollers supported by the frame adapted to form guides in order that said plates may be urged against said panel.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said means includes a means for urging the plates into sealing contact against the panel as the plates are moved in registry with the openings.

3. In a louver construction including an open frame having upper and lower rails, a panel supported by the frame between the rails and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings, a plurality of circular closure plates rollable on the lower rail and selectively movable into and out of register with the openings, a horizontal bar rotatably secured to the center of each plate, vertical rods carried by the upper and lower rails, rollers supported on the rods, means on the bar riding against the rollers to urge the plates against the panel as the plates are moved into registry with the openings, and means slidably carried by the frame and connected to the bar for sliding the bar horizontally.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said means for riding against the rollers comprises longitudinally spaced wedge strips on the bar.

5. The combination of claim 3, wherein said last named means includes a pulley secured on one of the rods, and a flexible element trained over the pulley and attached to the bar.

6. The combination of claim 3, and coacting means between the frame and the bar for indicating the positioning of the plates relative to the openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 949,600 Rylander Feb. 15, 1910 1,138,137 Nichols May 4, 1915 2,320,268 Cramer May 25, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 487,030 Great Britain June 14, 1938 

